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Tackle influenza, WHO urges nations

GENEVA SEPT. 27. Influenza can kill. To counter its constantly changing forms, the World Health Organisation (WHO) this week convened a panel of experts to decide on the formula for next year's southern hemisphere influenza vaccine. WHO urged Governments around the world to scale up their vaccination programmes to protect vulnerable people from this serious disease.

``Influenza vaccines are life-savers and we must see they reach those at greatest risk. We want to see a big reduction in the unacceptably high levels of illness and deaths caused by annual influenza epidemics'', says Gro Harlem Brundland, Director-General of WHO.

Influenza can be a deadly disease, not just an inconvenience. During the most recent influenza outbreak in Madagascar, which began in early June 2002 and lasted until late August, more than 22,000 people were infected of whom 671 died. The victims were mainly children who lacked access to medical care and had poor nutrition. In the most affected province, Fianrantsoa, there were 18,808 cases and 556 deaths. And in the United States last year, influenza killed an estimated 20,000 people.

The elderly, chronically ill persons and young children are particularly at risk. In addition to the deathsl, influenza also inflicts a huge toll in terms of suffering, hospitalisation, absenteeism from work and economic loss.

WHO has recommended that Governments begin vaccination campaigns prior to the influenza season and ensure that as many vulnerable people as possible were covered before the first cases of the disease appear.

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